Lausanne, Switzerland (GenevaLunch) – Edipresse, the largest media company in French-speaking Switzerland, announced Friday 9 October that it will cut nearly 10 percent of its workforce: 100 jobs, with half in its print units, some 30 journalists’ positions and the rest in production. The company has 1,124 full-time equivalent positions in Switzerland. Half of its approximately 3,000 employees work outside the country. Details about which jobs are affected will follow later. The group will begin consultations next week with staff representatives: Edipresse Romande (French-speaking area) has collective agreements with staff, although it has not had such agreements in German-speaking areas in the country.

The latest round of job cuts is due largely to a 25 percent drop in advertising since 2008, with “no improvement in sight”, the company says.

Earlier in the year it cut 28 jobs, and Tamedia, which is buying Edipresse Suisse, cut 80 jobs. The two free newspapers published by the groups were combined in September: 20 Minutes and Matin Bleu.

Edipresse publishes more than 200 magazines and newspapers as well as several web sites, including subscription-based Swisster, which provides news in English. The company moved into the red in September 2009. Publicitas, which has an exclusive advertising contract with Edipresse until December 2009, said in June it is laying off 89 people as a result of the contract ending.